Process of extracting gold from saline solutions



May 26, 1936. H. c. PARKER PROCESS OF EXTRACTING GOLD FROM SALINE SOLUTIONS Filed Aug. 4, 1934 fnyggzzor H. C Parker A 12 4 2 2204 m Hf/omega.

' Patented Ma 2c, 1936 access G connrno' "M" SALINE SOLUTIONS I t w 5 Herschel 0. Parker, LosAngeles, c m; assignorh v;

- of one-half Anlclcsicallf.

to John ,.Willlam Application au ust 4, lesa 's' risii nsgrssjses scum. Cl.'l5 109)fl i ries small quantities of gold insol'uticn. probably;

as a chloride. The amount. however, was conl5 eidered far too smallfor any hope of discovering a-method or anycommercial value for extract ing the gold therefrom.-' The amounts usually given by investigators from one-tenth to two cents of gold per ton of sea water. Probably the 1 so most accurate determination on record is that I made by the scripps'fnstitute of Oceanography. La Jclla. California. several years ago. The tests made give approximately four milligrams of gold or about one-half cent per ton of water; The

as method used in determining the amount of'gold consists in evaporating a ton of water to dryness and then making a quantitative analysis of the dry residue for sold.

Gold chloride. however. when heated with an so excess of sodium chloride is volatile. Therefore,

the gold found in the residue was considerably less than actually present in the sea water under treatment. It is remarkable that any gold whatever was'found in the residue.

After carrying out extensive experiments along the Pacino Coast and Mono Lake by means of electric currents, mercury, lead and iron. to determine whether there were any saline solutions that carried gold in commercial quantities, I developed a process for extracting gold by means of finely powdered ferrous sulphide. In all of v the methods lust mentioned promising results were obtained when the solutions were enriched by gold chloride. In all natural saline solutions.

however. the most erratic results were obtained.

ranging without any apparent cause whatever thirty cents per tonand higher to a mere ace.

' I have discovered an agent, namely: metallic aka! in the form or a nne powder to be a most active means for extracting gold fromsallns solutions. agitating gold bearing saline soluticns with powdered nickel obtainedremarkable and cntresults irrespective. of whether the solution werediluted or saturated;

Utah, and Mono Lake, Cali which. as-mentioned here My invention consists in the steps of extract ing gold from saline solutions'by the'use of powdered nickel as herei ai'ter describ d and claimed? if i" 'i n' c enr nedrsw ne. whic mm a is part of the specification,- I have illustrated anap -f paratus' suitableflforcarrying out my processi'fn in m mz ,e Fig. lfis "a; verticaljsectionwith' parts in full elevation of theapparatusq 10 Fig; 2 is a horizontalsection-taken onthe lines Referring to the drawing: lifin'dicates a=suitable closed container) preferably cylindrical in shape and provided'with a'suitable stirring or 5 agitating means consisting of a vertical shaft ii Journaled in'the bottom-and top; respectively of h the container i0, and drivenibyisuitable means.

not shown. Agitator ar s l2, whic'li may" be in the shape of afhelical scroll are 'arrangedsothat'go on rotation fithlsllaft in' one direction theliquid' will be agitatd'and moved upwardly-against the" action Lof'grav-lty. I

' 13 is a hopper-shaped contain 'r-for the recep-' tio'n'of powdered nickel providedwithjan outletzs chute "i4 controlled by "valves lifrandil. saline solution is supplied tothe tank It by means of a suitable pump l'l in pipe line It entering the container in nearfth bottom. l8 has'suitable outlet valves is in/the bottom of the-con- 3o tainer It for the removal of the. gold enriched nickel. 20 is the outlet from the container ll preferably arranged at the top thereof and comprises a series of baiile plates I I in-staggered relation, as shown, which prevent the particles ofas' nickel from passing on with through the outlet pipe 22.

I f Operation Metallic nickel. which maybe of commercial 40 grade. is granulated or pulveriaed'in any preferred manner to a fineness to pass through a from the waste water to 200 mesh screen, mesh. being preferred.

The smaller. theparticles. the greater-thesurface exposed and the more eflicient the extraction of 45 I the gold will be. The granulated nickel isintrodu'ced into the container It by means of the nickel receptacle li,,--using approximately one pound of nickel to a toad water to beitreated. and the saline solution containing the soldis 50 pumpedinto the container It by meansof pump I 11.; The nickel particles are subjected to violent agitationby means of the stirring blades l2,

. are so arrangedas to move the'nickel particles upwardly with the rese suit that there is a violent agitation of the particles oi nickel through the body otwater. The gold is emclently extracted from the water and is deposited on the tin particles. This deposit may I that is,-a portion oi' the nickel goes into solution while the gold is precipitated on the nickel particles; (2) adsorption; (3) catalytic action. It

requires about one minute to treat one ton of sea water.

The gold is precipitated on nickel the pump l'l vand the rotation oi" theblades i2 is stopped, whereupon the nickel a'ncl'the gold adhering thereto quickly settle downto: the bottom or the container Hi from which they may be removed through the outletyalves 19. 1 have found that it is] not necessary to provide screens in the outlet pipe 22 to prevent any particles of nickel ..passlng out with the wastewater, these particles being sumciently heavy that the baiile plates" 2i prevent their iegress troni'qcontainer ill; All the gold recovered from the saline-solution; adheres to thenickel'particiesand may be readily removed therefrom bycupellation, .smeltin'g, or

process is not to extract substantiallyall' or even;

any other preferred refining process. I I' have'iound that the ocean along of Southern California atsomeplaces yields as much as twenty cents in gold per ton, Great Salt Lake, Utah, rorty centajand-Mono Lake, California, sixty cents. g I

However themost economic o'peration of the a major portion oi the gold contained in the solu:

V tion under, treatment, .in view; of-;the iact that, there is practicallyan-unlimited supply=of. gold bearing sea water or other saline solutions. It ismore profitable to subject the water to the;nickel treatment at a iairly high' rate oi.- speed,; the

, object being; to cause the nickelvto be in; contact with a solution as rich in gold as possible. JI'herethe" coastprocess will. depend on operating the system at the 10 'gpolnt of maximum efllciency, having regard to I the nickel in the form of a finely divided metallic powder up to" 15-20% of the weight of thecnickeh Whenitgis desired to periodically remove the gold enriched =ment,-maintenance, taxes, and the like.

Various changes may be made by'those skilled in the steps of the process without departing 15 from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

1. A "process of extracting gold from saline solutions comprising passing agold bearing saline solution through a container. in the presence oi 20 granular nickel, agitating thesolution for atime suflicient for the nickel toextract anappreciable percentage of, gold from the solution, and separating the gold enriched-nickel fromthe solution.

2. A processgof extracting gold from salinezs solutionscomprisingpassing a gold bearing saline solution through a'container in the presenceof' granular nickel of a size of 100129 200 mesh, ,an d agitating" the solution for a time suflicient for the nickel to extract. an -appreciable, percentage .of 30 goldirom the solution, and separating the gold enriched nickel from the solution.; I v

3. A process of extrac ing gold from saline solutions comprising passinga gold bearing saline. solution through a container inthe presence 01 35 granular nickel of a size to pass through a to 200 mesh, using a quantity of onepound of nickel toa ton of the solution tojbe treated, agitating,

nickel fromthe soiution.- I 

